[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 18495]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO HAROLD ``HAL'' BRUNO, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BILL PASCRELL, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 30, 2011

  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the life of a truly 
outstanding individual, Mr. Harold ``Hal'' Bruno, Jr., who passed away 
on November 8th, 2011 at the age of 83. A native of Chicago, Hal Bruno 
began his long career there as a reporter during the 1950s. From 1960 
to 1978, Mr. Bruno worked for Newsweek magazine, and in 1978, he moved 
to ABC news where he remained until 1999. As Political Director and 
Director of Election Coverage at ABC News, Hal Bruno was widely known 
for his political savvy and his journalistic integrity. His career as a 
journalist spanned five decades and earned him many accolades. He was 
dedicated to politics and a pioneer in political journalism, so it is 
fitting that he passed away on an election night.
  However, Hal Bruno had another passion in addition to journalism: to 
the brave men and women of our country's fire service. He was called to 
serve his neighbors as a volunteer firefighter for much of his career, 
and through that work as a firefighter, Mr. Bruno gained a keen 
interest in fire safety policies. He became a leading expert in the 
politics and policy of fire safety and for years contributed a column 
on the subject to Firehouse magazine. He also composed numerous 
articles on the subject in other publications and on the internet, and 
helped bring attention to these important issues to Americans across 
the country.
  Hal's passion and tenaciousness made him a highly effective advocate 
for firefighters and fire safety. A charter member of the National 
Fallen Firefighter's Foundation, he served as the organization's 
Chairman from 1999 until his retirement in 2008. In this position, he 
helped to develop fire safety programs and to create a safer 
environment for firefighters. He was also the Director of the Chevy 
Chase Fire Department in Maryland. It was truly an honor for me to work 
closely with Hal as we sought ways that the federal government could 
assist our local fire departments even before the tragic events of 
September 11th, 2001. Together, we developed the Assistance To 
Firefighters Grant (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency 
Response (SAFER) grant programs to help these local departments buy the 
equipment and hire the personnel they needed to keep their communities 
safe and secure. Thanks in large part to Hal's insightful input and 
tireless advocacy, these programs have been wildly successful, and are 
crucial to ensuring that our communities have the resources they need.
  Homeland security starts at home, so no matter what our budget 
environment is like, we must continue to support firefighters and other 
first responders, who sacrifice so much to keep us safe. This will 
undoubtedly be one of Hal's great legacies, and I will continue to 
fight to preserve it in the future.
  With Hal Bruno's passing, our nation has lost a great hero. Mr. Bruno 
is survived by his wife Meg, his sister Barbara, his sons Harold and 
Dan, and his four grandchildren. The job of a United States Congressman 
involves much that is rewarding, yet nothing compares to working with 
passionate individuals like Hal Bruno. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join 
our colleagues, Hal's family and friends, our first responders, and me 
in commemorating and celebrating the life of Mr. Hal Bruno.

                          ____________________